OUR LOVE IS HERE TO STAY!

(But this thing in my eye is a goner…)

Well, hello there, strangers! It’s been quite some time since I have written of my adventures, but I assure you there have been a few good reasons.

First, however, I thought I’d post a Valentine video of my toothless acapella version of OUR LOVE IS HERE TO STAY (Facebook video link), a song first taught to me by the unmatchable Mary Osborn Scaffidi, one of the First Ladies of Jazz who actually lived here in Bakersfield, and who was an early mentor and musical light to me in my youth.

Happy Valentines Day, Mary, you are missed and loved, no matter where in the wide universe you are currently gigging…

I dedicate the sentiments in the song to all of my many loves on Facebook; to my exquisite daughters whose love makes up the core of my own heart; and to all who, by circumstance or choice, are alone on this loveliest of holidays.

I open my arms and heart to you and encourage you to spread your own love and kindness through a world currently in great need of your own light. SMOOCH!

And if you are uncertain of your ability to love, for whatever reason, maybe you can promise yourself, as I do on my bad days, to at least not bring any more pain, sorrow, or unkindness into this world, as far as you are able.

It’s an easy jump back to love from that basic position…

I guess I should mention I will need some love and prayers In my corner of the universe too, as tomorrow, I will undergo some pretty extensive surgery to remove this tumor from my right tear duct area and repair the damage with tissue lifted from my forehead and temple areas.

I’ve been trying to get them to trim down my big nose and stuff all THAT extra Daveness into the hole, but no luck so far…damn ethics…

The lump in the duct did indeed turn out to be cancer, although unrelated to my previous throat cancer.

The thing is about the size of a big grape at this point, and a perimeter around the area has to be removed as well, which necessitates plastic surgery reconstruction involving the bone in my nose to which the thing is attached, as well as parts of the eyelid and surrounding tissue.

To replace the bone in my nose, they will remove part of a rib and use that.

Oh boy! Sore ribs! My favorite…extra sauce, please…

But you all know I don’t ‘worry’ about this kind of thing anymore, since I gave up my atoms awhile back in order to be of some real use in what I perceive as God’s will for my life.

Anything that comes from this I regard as part of a better idea for my life and time than I could have hoped to come up with, so I’m good with it, no matter what.

You may, however, hear tales of some guy with long blonde hair tromping the streets of Bakersfield in his Phantom mask.

Yes, I kept the one from the last production in case something like this ever happened. And waddya know? I was right!

So I will be out of commission for a few more weeks; well, about two months, if you want to get technical.

I didn’t post much about it so it wouldn’t freak anyone out; also because I don’t think much about it, other than I’ll be glad it’s gone.

Then I can get rock ‘n rollin’ on helping my cousin again up north in Aptos, where I was sent during a truly crucial period in her life, and from which so much good has transpired simply because I said ‘yes’ when God whispered that I should go.

That is a B-I-I-I-I-I-I-G story, still playing out, and from which I have learned quite a number of useful lessons.

I am grateful for the opportunity, which above all has reacquainted me with a part of the family I cherish but from whom I have long been absent.

So that is the long and short of it, and when I can see again I will write more fully about my place in the Grand Scheme Of Things.

To sum up…
1. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
2. Hope you enjoy the song; I am grateful to have any kind of voice at all…
3. Surgery for the tumor in my eye is FEB. 15 at 7:30am, will take about 5 hours on the table, and 6-8 weeks recovery. 
4. If you have some extra prayer sittin’ around you’re not using, send it over to KMC for me tomorrow morning.
5. Things are going much better for my cousin and God’s fingerprints are all over that situation. 
6. I love you guys, and will remember my entire life the sweet sentiments and loving prayers lent me by so many hearts these last couple of years. I intend very soon to reciprocate